CockroachDB vs PlanetScale(2026)
CockroachDB is better for teams that need truly distributed (no downtime). PlanetScale is the stronger choice if non-blocking schema changes. CockroachDB is freemium (from $0 (free tier 5GB)) and PlanetScale is paid (from $39/month).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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CockroachDB
CockroachDB is a distributed PostgreSQL-compatible database built for global scale and survivability.
Starting at $0 (free tier 5GB)
Visit CockroachDBPlanetScale
PlanetScale is a MySQL-compatible serverless database with branching workflows for schema changes.
Starting at $39/month
Visit PlanetScaleHow Do CockroachDB and PlanetScale Compare on Features?
| Feature | CockroachDB | PlanetScale |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| Starting price | $0 (free tier 5GB) | $39/month |
| Distributed SQL | ✓ | — |
| PostgreSQL-compatible | ✓ | — |
| Multi-region | ✓ | — |
| Automatic sharding | ✓ | — |
| ACID transactions | ✓ | — |
| Change data capture | ✓ | — |
| MySQL-compatible | — | ✓ |
| Database branching | — | ✓ |
| Non-blocking schema changes | — | ✓ |
| Query insights | — | ✓ |
| Replication | — | ✓ |
CockroachDB Pros and Cons vs PlanetScale
CockroachDB
PlanetScale
Should You Use CockroachDB or PlanetScale?
Choose CockroachDB if…
- •Truly distributed (no downtime)
- •Postgres-compatible
- •Multi-region out of the box
Choose PlanetScale if…
- •Non-blocking schema changes
- •MySQL compatibility
- •Excellent performance